What is Maca Root?
Maca Root is an Andean cruciferous root vegetable in the brassica (mustard) family. It has been leveraged by the ancient Andeans for years to enhance fertility (Tharakan and Manyam, 2005).
Maca is a hardy and perennial plant that is cultivated in the Andes of Peru and grows at altitudes over 13,000 feet. Studies show it can improve sexual health, balance hormone levels, and boost energy levels, mood, and memory. Maca root is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng and was discovered in the late 15th century.
To the untrained eye, Maca resembles a radish, turnip or parsnip, and its cream-colored root is sweet to taste. Although Maca root was discovered hundreds of years ago, it grew in popularity from the 1990s to 2014 because of its impressive effects on fertility.
Indeed, preparations of the maca root capsules can enhance sexual function in healthy people as well as animals (Chung et al., 2005; Zheng et al., 2000).
In Peru, Maca is prepared by mashing and boiling its root to produce a sweet and viscous liquid. This liquid can subsequently convert into a flour or powder after letting it dry. Maca is a precious Peruvian commodity because it exclusively grows in a very limited area around Lake Junin in central Peru.
Maca root can increase sperm production and even sperm motility (Gonzales et al., 2001) as well as increase one’s libido (Zenico et al., 2009; Brooks et al., 2008). In the next section, we discuss the evidence for this purported effect as well as some other benefits of ingesting Maca root.
The Benefits of Maca Root Extract
1) Maca root significantly boosts sperm count and sperm quality
One study evaluated the effects of a four-month oral treatment with tablets of Maca root on the production and quality of sperm in nine men.
The men took 1,500 and 3,000 mg of Maca extract per day for four months. And a seminal analysis was performed at the end of the study.
The researchers observed that treatment with Maca increased the volume of ejaculate, sperm count, and motility of the sperm.
Importantly, the researchers did not observe and hormonal changes in testosterone amongst the nine men (Gonzales et al., 2001).
Another more recent study in 2015 looked at twenty men aged 20-40 years old and divided them into experimental (Maca) and control (placebo) groups
The Maca group received 1,750 mg of Maca extract a day, whereas the control group did not.
After 12 weeks, the researchers observed that the concentration and motility of sperm were increased in the Maca group as compared to the control group (Melnikovova et al., 2015).
2) Maca can alleviate the symptoms of menopause
One double-blind placebo-controlled trial looked at twenty Caucasian women who were in early menopause.
The researchers administered placebo (dummy medication) to the women for one month, followed by Maca for two months and eight months respectively.
Hormone levels were determined in the blood of these women at periodic intervals.
The researchers found that the hormones responsible for the symptoms of menopause significantly decreased when the women were ingesting Maca root extract.
These hormonal changes were accompanied by significantly reduced feelings of discomfort that are associated with menopause (e.g., hot flushing and night sweating) (Meissner et al., 2005).
3) Maca can improve libido in women even after menopause
Another double-blind placebo-controlled trial looked at the benefits and effects of Maca root on post-menopausal women with sexual dysfunction from anti-depressant therapy.
The researchers administered women with 3,000 mg of Maca root extract a day for 12 weeks.
The women’s sexual function was assessed at the end of 12 weeks with two scientifically validated questionnaires.
The women who consumed Maca root capsules had significantly better sexual function than those in the placebo group (Dording et al., 2015).
Another study looked at the effects of maca root capsules on post-menopausal women with sexual dysfunction caused by the use of anti-depressants. Compared to a placebo, maca root was able to improve sexual function significantly.
4) Maca can reduce Blood Pressure in patients with Hypertension
In another study scoping 29 post-menopausal women, researchers administered them with 3,300 mg of Maca root extract daily for 6 weeks.
There were no differences in sex hormones between the Maca group and the control group.
However, the researchers observed significant decreases in blood pressure (Stojanovska et al., 2015).
5) Maca can improve mood in both men and women
In the same study referenced above, the researchers also observed that the same women who experienced decreases in blood pressure enjoyed the relief of their depressive symptoms as well (Stojanovska et al., 2015).
6) Maca may improve memory and cognitive function in men and women
Although there are no human studies that look at the memory and cognition boosting effects of Maca, several animal studies attest to these properties.
One mouse study on Maca benefits showed that Maca root extract not only improved cognitive function but also improved motor coordination and physical endurance (Guo et al., 2016).
Another mouse study found ingesting a variant of Maca root – black Maca, links with improved memory and brain health (Rubio et al., 2011).
7) Maca may reduce enlarged prostate glands in men
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate gland that can cause obstructive lower urinary tract symptoms.
Although there are no human studies that look at prostate shrinking effects of Maca, several animal studies attest to these properties.
One study found that red Maca (another variant of Maca root) reduced the size of the prostate gland in rats, without affecting the sex hormone levels (Gonzales et al., 2005).
Another study found that red Maca inhibits the conversion of key hormones. This, therefore, leads to a disruption of the pathway leading to an enlarged prostate gland (Gasco et al., 2007).
8) Maca contains potent antioxidants for overall wellbeing
Free radicals that are produced as waste products by human cells can accumulate over time and cause long-term damage to the body.
Antioxidants are capable of sweeping these free radicals up, leading to a rejuvenation of cells.
Studies have found that Maca root capsules has numerous benefits and contains significant amounts of potent antioxidants such as phenols, glucosinolates, and polysaccharides (Rodriguez-Huaman et al., 2017).
They have also demonstrated the potent antioxidant activities of Maca root extract in scavenging harmful free radicals (Zha et al., 2014).
9) Maca may protect skin against ultraviolet radiation
The benefits of Maca root capsules extract do not limit to sexual and neurological health alone.
One rat study found that Maca root capsules protects the skin against ultraviolet radiation.
The researchers endorsed Maca root capsules extract as a viable alternative to sunscreen and other forms of solar protection (Gonzales-Castaneda and Gonzales, 2008).
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